


Practice Makes Perfect

by OrganOfFlames



Series: Pokemon Short Stories [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Friendship, Happy, Pokemon Fanfiction, Support, practicing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 02:23:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9527597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrganOfFlames/pseuds/OrganOfFlames
Summary: Lillie wants to become a trainer just like her friends, Moon and Hau, yet she is having some trouble getting down one of the fundamentals, throwing a Pokeball with accuracy. Thankfully, her friends are here to help. Just a short and sweet one-shot. Please read the Note at the beginning.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, I hope you enjoy reading this short Pokemon story I wrote. I really like Lillie and Moon and before I realised it, I was writing this out of thin air. As I said, I really do hope you like this!
> 
> I will give a warning! This features spoilers to the ending of the Pokemon Sun and Moon games. If you have not completed the game yet, and care about spoilers, I advise against reading this story until you have completed the main storyline.
> 
> I will also say that this does diverge a little bit from the canon ending, so it is a little AU I suppose. Anyway, enjoy!

"It's… sort of embarrassing…" She squeaked, trying to stop her legs from shaking. Standing in front of everyone was bad enough, but being forced to do this made everything far worse. She couldn't keep her heartbeat from accelerating tenfold each time she was told to do it again. It was like performing for everyone's personal benefit. People from all over the world did this, so why did she find it so difficult?

One of the watchers clapped happily. "That's it! You've almost got it!" The male voice sounded so enthusiastic about it. "Maybe spread your legs a bit more!" He suggested, watching her figure closely.

"Yeah, that's a good point." Another voice came out, a lot sweeter than the last. "It should come naturally with time and practice. At least, that's how it was for me." The girl giggled, her fingers playfully intertwining with each other.

The blonde nodded, her ponytail bouncing behind. "I-I'll try!" Gulping loudly, she attempted to relax her body. Feeling nothing but the wind caressing her fingertips, they tightened their grip. Steadily breathing to halt her quivering hand, she slowly moved it upwards.

"Oh, that's good!" The male spoke again, looking on in awe. The girl beside him nodded, the sun shining down on the girl's exciting performance. She fixed up her red beanie and took a step closer to get a better look.

Her green eyes honed in on the toy resting approximately five metres away from her. Gently, her teeth bit into her bottom lip as the two onlookers cheered for her to go for it. Sweat trickled down from her forehead, dripping off her chin. "I-It's hard to do it when you're all staring… B-But, I have to!" She spoke up, her chest tensing as she did what the boy had told her too, spreading her legs a little further.

Desperately, she wanted to wipe the sweat off her face, but breaking this position would mean she'd have to start all over again, and the day was shortening by the second.

Gulping again, she flung her arm forward, the ball in her palm leaving once her fingers extended out of the way. The red and white capturing device flew through the air towards the pokedoll of a Clefairy, but instead of making contact, it bounced along the grass for a couple of feet before rolling to a stop near the cliff face.

Her shoulders drooped, as well as her head. Another failure. She'd been trying for hours now. How come her friends could do it perfectly every time but she was having so much trouble with it? Capturing Pokemon was one of the first steps to becoming a Pokemon Trainer, something she finally decided she wanted to become after witnessing her friends carrying out their journey right before her very eyes.

"That was super close!" The girl piped up, walking towards the suddenly depressed blonde.

The other voice joined in. "Yeah, you almost had it! One more go!" He stretched his arms out, placing his hands behind his head, smiling widely.

"Yeah, Lillie. One more go." Moon smiled sweetly, pulling the girl into a hug. In an instant, she found herself smiling again. "You want this dream, right?" Lillie nodded, her head against Moon's chest. "Then we can't give up now."

Lillie's eyes shimmered, trying hard not to cry in front of her friends, she pulled out of the hug and turned around to wipe down her face. "M-Mhm, I can do it! One more time!" She nervously announced. "Moon, Hau, please watch me!"

They both nodded, Hau passing her the ball he'd just fetched. Lillie found herself looking down at the polished redness. She saw herself, a face of worry and doubt. She found herself frowning. This wasn't her. That was the old Lillie. She was Z-Powered now!

In the reflection, she noticed Moon standing right beside her. The smile on her face was as big as ever. No matter where she went, she left people happy. Almost as proof, Lillie realised she was now smiling too, just from seeing her friend's uplifting spirit. "Yeah… Let's do it!" She steeled herself and gripped the ball tighter. Eyes staring carefully at the doll, she clicked her tongue.

Moon didn't say a word this time, but Hau continued cheering. The wind picked up for a passing moment, blowing her ponytail over her shoulder. A few more seconds carried on before she used all the built up energy and threw the ball. It sailed right for the fake Clefairy, but again, just missed.

Moon's hands clenched, tightening into small fists. Lillie was frozen and Moon couldn't see her expression. She didn't want to. No doubt her confidence had drained entirely. Glancing towards Hau, he was already walking over to pick up the ball and doll. "Lillie…" Moon began. She had hoped Lillie got it this time, her spirits had been dropping all day with every miss and that could've been the final blow. "You'll get it soon. Don't lose hope." She placed her hand on the Lillie's shoulder.

The blonde girl turned around to face her friend, bearing a smile and bright eyes. "I know." The smile was unbelievably bright. "I just have to keep trying." Nodding to her friend, Hau passed her the ball and doll. "We can continue this another day. That is, if you want to help me again."

"Of course we will." Hau grinned, throwing his hands behind his head so casually. Lillie also admired Hau for this; his always carefree attitude. He didn't seem to have anything to worry about, even in stressful situations, he always found a reason to grin and stretch out.

Moon joined Hau in his agreement. "Anytime, Lillie. Then, once you've got it mastered, we can go out on journey's together!" Lillie couldn't do anything but smile at that. Witnessing Moon and Hau on their first journey through the Alola region together, she wished with all her heart that she could journey with them too, as a full-fledged trainer, and not what she felt like she was, baggage.

Lillie nodded, squeezing the stuffed Clefairy in her arms. Then the trio split ways, all leaving to retire for the night. Lillie entering Kukui's house, climbing up to her small 'room', placing the Clefairy down on her bed and throwing herself down beside it, staring up at the ceiling. "Can I really catch up to them?" She mumbled to herself, still holding the ball firmly in her palm. It was still sunny outside, night not coming for another couple hours, but she truly felt as though she was wasting her friend's time. She sighed, rolling over to face the smiling Pokemon doll. "I just can't hold them back anymore."

* * *

The moon had sieged the sky for itself, yet the Champion of Alola was still wide awake, staring up at what she had been named after. It was full tonight, moonlight shimmering all around the four main islands of Alola. It was a breath-taking sight.

The reasoning as to why the young girl couldn't sleep? Well, she was worried. She wanted her friend to succeed so dearly. Lillie wasn't the only one with a dream to travel with her friend, Moon wanted it just as badly. Moon was scared Lillie would give up, not that the girl was the type to give up, but failure after failure certainly wasn't easy to deal with, no matter how supportive her friends were.

Looking down from the full moon, she noticed two Rattata's scampering across the grass in front of her house. These were Alolan Rattata's, much different from the ones back home. They sort of reminded her of the cliché evil villains from classical Kalos films. However, these conniving Pokemon gave her an idea. A simple one at that. A walk. Sure it was late, but she had her Pokemon, the ones that helped her gain the title of Alolan Champion. She would be fine if any wild Pokemon attacked.

Still dressed from earlier, all she had to do was slip on her shoes again. While her mother wouldn't stop her from leaving at night, Moon was concerned that leaving out the front door would wake her; and their Meowth.

Pushing her window open, she lifted herself onto the windowsill and swiftly dropped down on the other side, her shoes crushing the grass below her. The cool night air washed over her, bringing a calm smile to her face. One thing she liked about Alola over Kanto was the temperature at night. A comfortable coolness was far more preferable.

Lifting her head up, she could hear the ocean washing up onto the shore near her house. A late night walk on the beach sounded perfect.

Taking the commonly trampled path, she arrived at the beach in no time, quicker than two minutes. Perks of living on a small island.

Tonight, the beach betrayed her expectations. The beach wasn't empty. It wasn't uncommon for people to inhabit the beach at night, sometimes gathering for celebrations or just something to do. What Moon was not expecting was a certain silhouette in the distance. Feet spread apart on the sand, hand raised behind her head, and a breathing rate - steady and calm.

The girl was still practicing at this late hour. Moon watched from behind as Lillie threw the ball a few metres, it crashing into the sand a bit to the right.

Moon found herself biting her bottom lip nervously as she witnessed Lillie's shoulders drop. She was trying so hard, it pained her to see her missing. She'd made a ton of progress, but it's hard to look back when you're still looking forward. Reflecting was a large part of Moon's journey, thinking back to her first Pokemon, her first battle, her first capture, her first trial and now, she stands at the top of Alola.

But, despite another failure, Lillie's shoulders moved back up. Picking up the ball, she started all over again. Moon had to compliment her persistence. This time, however, Moon wasn't just going to watch.

Approaching from behind, she softly pushed apart Lillie's outstretched arms, adjusting her positioning. However, it didn't help that Lillie jumped, frightened of the strange hands sudden grabbing at her.

Now having lost her stance completely, she'd have to start again. "Oh, it's you, Moon…" Lillie attempted to calm her frenzied heartbeat, hand on her chest. Moon sheepishly giggled, stepping back from the blonde. "Don't scare me like that."

With a cheeky grin, Moon apologised. "Sorry, Lillie. I didn't expect to find you practicing out here."

Lillie suddenly looked panicked. "I-I just cou-couldn't sleep!" Her cheeks began to blush.

"There's no shame in trying your best and practicing to achieve your goal." Moon spoke with a small smile, retaking the step closer to her friend. She wasn't sure why Lillie was suddenly so flustered for being caught, perhaps she found it embarrassing to be trying so hard. Whatever it was, Moon admired it.

"I know that! I'm just…" Lillie flashed a defeated expression, giving up on her lie. "Okay, I'm practicing…" Moon laughed, she hadn't been convinced otherwise for a second. "I desperately want to master this before we leave for Kanto. You said you wanted to come with me, right?" Moon nodded. "Exactly, and time is running out. I'll be going to Kanto one way or another, with my mother, so I need to achieve this goal so I won't hold you back!"

Moon took a slow breath, managing to calm her friend. "I understand your frustration." Her smile persisted. "So let's stop talking, and get to practicing." Her silver eyes lit up in the moonlight. Lillie stood motionless for a few passing seconds before catching on to the uplifting atmosphere Moon was trying to create.

"Yeah!" Lillie cheered back. The ball still in her palm, she turned and faced the doll, mocking her failed attempts. Moon took a position behind Lillie, pushing the blonde's arms up into a pose Moon often used when throwing a Pokeball.

Moon pressed her body against her friends, hearing the pounding heartbeat of the trainer in-progress. Her fingertips helped keep Lillie's arms in place. "Remember this position. If this works, you'll want to be able to recreate it - without me." Nodding, with a slight blush brought upon by a close friend being closer than usual. Her voice was right in her ear, a hushed whisper making everything seem more intimate than it had a right to be. "Now…" Moon began, her hands leaving Lillie's arms and appear at her waist, grabbing her hips softly. She shifted her hips an inch to the right, helping balance her weight. Lillie couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the touching and whispering, but she had more important things to focus on.

The moon gave her target light, the path between her and the doll was clear, all she had to do now was hit it. Simple throwing - and this target wasn't even moving. If children can do it, so can she!

"Throw." Moon finished her whisper, clicking her tongue the moment Lillie threw her arm forward, letting the ball break through the air, closing in on the lifeless doll. Moon backed away just in time to avoid being whacked by Lillie, witnessing the red and white orb smack the soft plushie directly in its cute, smiling face. All was still as the doll fell onto its back and the ball made a small dent in the sand. Neither girl said a word, hearing the water crash into the rocks a rough fifty metres away.

"..."

"..."

"... I…" Lillie muttered, her lips barely moving. "I did it!" She cheered, Moon cheering right after the declaration. She threw herself at Moon, her arms falling around her back. Moon quickly tightened her arms around the ecstatic girl. Bathing in the moonlight, the two celebrated what may seem like a minor victory, but it meant so much to them; to Lillie it meant the world. "Thank you, Moon. I… I could never have accomplished this without your help." Moon didn't have a response in words, instead, she just pulled Lillie closer, cutting off their breathing for a few seconds. "I can't wait for our next journey to begin!"

* * *

"Are you ready, Hau? Watch this!" Lillie exclaimed, the ball in her hand and the doll almost ten metres away. Hau enthusiastically nodded, his fists clenched, his body bouncing on his toes. She'd been practicing for a couple hours longer after her first success. While there were still a couple failed attempts, nobody could do it flawlessly every time. Even Moon messed up on occasion. Not to mention, she was still learning.

Her body remembered how Moon had positioned her. She could remember everything, the fingertips lifting her arms, how she had shifted her hips, and finally the words whispered into her ear. ' _Now… Throw.'_

Lillie threw, watching it rapidly reach its target, dropping onto the battered Clefairy's head. Lillie turned to face Hau who was already running up to his dear friend. "That's amazing, Lillie! I knew you had it in you!" His smile was enormous, typical of the boy. "We should celebrate by going for malasadas!" Definitely typical of him. "Oh, and we should tell Moon immediately! She would be so happy! This means a lot to her, you know!"

The blonde couldn't help but blush, however she had to correct him. "Don't worry about that, Hau. Moon already knows."

"Y-You mean I found out second?! Aw, man!" His head dropped, if only for a second. "Well, I can settle for second, I suppose." He laughed, throwing his hands behind his head, leaning on one foot. "Speaking of, where is Moon?"

Lillie smiled, shrinking the ball and pocketing it before scooping up the toy and resting it under her arm. "I think she's sleeping. She had a long night." Lillie grinned, the bags beneath her eyes telling a similar tale. "Anyway, let's go for those malasadas. Then I guess I better start packing for Kanto… Now that this is approaching, I'm suddenly getting cold feet." Lillie laughed, nervousness apparent.

"Don't fret, Lillie. Moon will be with you, and you're on your way to becoming a Pokemon trainer to be reckoned with!" Lillie couldn't help but laugh at the idea of her transforming into an unstoppable trainer that would rival Moon. Hau had such a wild imagination. "Maybe the malasadas will calm down your worries." He winked, grabbing her small hand and dragging her away towards the town. Kanto was closer than ever, and going there with Moon was a dream come true; but before that massive event in her life, malasadas with Hau sounded nice.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment and/or a kudos as it helps me recognise what sort of stories people like to see. Have a great day!


End file.
